Our top AI smartphone picks
One of this year’s standout SIM FREE handsets , the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is EE's top pick for 2025. It offers premium hardware with a great suite of AI features, including Cross App Actions that let you streamline tasks across different apps with a single voice command, and Pro Visual Engine, which gives you professional-grade photography skills.
Whether you're gaming, streaming, or capturing incredible shots with its four-way camera system, you get smooth performance and pro-level photography. From ultra-wide landscapes to detailed close-ups, enhanced zoom, and low-light brilliance, it’s got everything you need.
Honor Magic 7 Pro’s 200 MP telephoto camera uses AI-enhanced processing to help you capture stunning long-distance shots.
Magic Portal makes visual searches instant, AI Translation supports 13 languages, and the AI Falcon Camera captures sharp, pro-quality shots. Honor Notes simplifies content, while AI Real-Time Rendering ensures smooth, immersive performance.
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro AI front and centre, powered by the Tensor G4 chip for seamless efficiency and next-gen intelligence.
Live delivers instant answers and summaries, while Pixel Screenshots lets you find saved images just by describing them. Add Me ensures the photographer makes it into group shots, Call Notes transcribes key conversation points, and Magic Editor uses AI to enhance every photo to perfection.
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This phone comes packed with great AI features. Now Brief provides personalised daily updates, delivering relevant details on schedules, weather, and even photo highlights. The ProVisual Engine enhances low-light shots, sharpens image details, and ensures natural skin tones. For clear audio, Audio Eraser removes background noise from recordings.
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Flip and folding phones
Folding and flip phones feature flexible screens that bend in half, giving you a tablet-like experience when opened, and a compact form when closed. Folding models offer big, immersive displays, while flip phones deliver generous screen size in a much smaller, pocket-friendly body.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a compact, foldable powerhouse that slips effortlessly into your pocket but unfolds into a 6.7 inch OLED display with vibrant colours and smooth motion. Make the most of its unique foldable design with AI-powered Flex Mode enhancements, which optimise touch and voice controls for for hands-free multitasking. And get real-time translation without switching apps.
With a huge 8-inch foldable display, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers an immersive experience, whether multitasking or watching content in full-screen mode. This device unlocks AI-driven features built to simplify your day - Gemini Live provides instant answers, summaries and creative suggestions, while Call Notes automatically transcribes and summarises conversations.
Honor’s premium foldable,Honor Magic V3 delivers a sleek, ultra-thin design with powerhouse performance, making it a standout choice for multitasking and entertainment. Its AI Photography Suite refines details, optimises lighting, and enhances portraits automatically, ensuring professional-quality photos with minimal effort.
Find out more about these phones’ impressive AI features below.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6Get perfectly framed selfies and group shots with Auto Zoom, and turn them into custom backgrounds using Generative Wallpaper. Smart Select & Sketch to Image transforms sketches and highlights into fully realised images, bringing your ideas to life.
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Pixel 9 Pro FoldPixel Screenshots allows users to find saved images quickly by searching with natural descriptions instead of scrolling through folders. Add Me makes sure no one is left out in group photos, even the photographer. Plus refine and enhance images effortlessly with Magic Editor & Auto Frame.
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Honor Magic V3Magic Portal enables instant searches and interactions with images using AI-powered recognition, making information retrieval effortless. Deepfake Detection provides an extra layer of security by flagging manipulated media, helping users verify authenticity. And with Smart Screen Off, the display remains active as long as you’re looking at it.
Budget phones
Who says AI-powered phones have to break the bank? These models prove you can get smart features and top-tier performance without the premium price tag.
The Oppo Reno 13FS is built for effortless performance, vibrant visuals, and easy photography. AI-Powered Battery Optimisation intelligently learns usage patterns, extending battery life for longer-lasting performance. And you’ll get crisp, vibrant snaps thanks to Smart Phone Enhancement, which automatically fine-tunes lighting, contrast and sharpness.
The Google Pixel 9a is one of the best budget phones available right now. It not only looks fantastic but delivers great results, too. Its all-day battery life is powered by the Tensor G4 chip, ensuring AI-driven features and smooth performance. The 48MP main and 13MP ultra-wide cameras provide AI-enhanced photography with Best Take – which selects the most flattering shots - and Magic Editor – which fixes backgrounds and enhances details for a polished finish.
Another excellent option is the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. It’s a great upgrade from older Samsung models and while it’s no Ultra, it still has plenty for most users. This phone gives you full access to Galaxy AI, complete with Circle to Search and Google Gemini assistant, plus Photo Assist lets you resize, retouch and remove unwanted objects effortlessly.
Finally, the Honor Magic 7 Lite comes in at a similar price to the Oppo Reno and makes an equally compelling case for a budget smartphone. Like other Honor devices, it uses the AI-enabled MagicOS, with Magic Portal for instant visual search and app integration and Deepfake detection flagging manipulated media.
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Honor Magic 7 LiteAI Motion Sensing Camera captures sharp images even when subjects are in motion, thanks to advanced optical image stabilisation. Smart Photo Enhancement automatically adjusts lighting, contrast, and sharpness, ensuring every shot looks polished and professional, while AI-Powered Battery Optimisation learns usage patterns to extend battery life efficiently.
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Oppo Reno 13FSWith AI Portrait Mode, users can achieve professional-style bokeh shots in a single tap, creating stunning depth effects effortlessly. Interactions are faster and more intuitive with App Quick Actions, which allow users to long-press icons for instant access to common tasks. AI Noise Reduction removes background interference from calls and recordings.
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Google Pixel 9aWith Add Me, the photographer is always included in group shots, eliminating the need for retakes. Pixel Screenshots simplifies searching by allowing users to find saved images using descriptions instead of endless scrolling. Adaptive Battery Optimisation learns usage patterns to maximise battery life.
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Samsung Galaxy S24 FEWith Live Translate, conversations are translated in real time without the need to switch apps, making communication smoother. AI-powered Battery Optimisation learns user habits to extend battery life efficiently. Finally, Smart Call Assist enhances call clarity with AI-generated transcripts and noise reduction, making conversations more accessible.
